GenEPi: Piezo1-based fluorescent reporter for visualizing mechanical stimuli with high spatiotemporal resolution

Yaganoglu, S.; Helassa, N.; Gaub, B. M.; Welling, M.; Shi, J.; Müller, D. J.; Török, K.; Pantazis, P.

doi:10.1101/702423

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/702423

GenEPi: Piezo1-based fluorescent reporter for visualizing mechanical stimuli with high spatiotemporal resolution

Yaganoglu, S.·Helassa, N.·Gaub, B. M.·Welling, M.·Shi, J.·Müller, D. J.·Török, K.·Pantazis, P.

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Abstract

Mechanosensing is a ubiquitous process to translate external mechanical stimuli into biological responses during development, homeostasis, and disease. However, non-invasive investigation of cellular mechanosensing in complex and intact live tissue remains challenging. Here, we developed GenEPi, a genetically-encoded fluorescent intensiometric reporter for mechanical stimuli based on Piezo1, an essential mechanosensitive ion channel found in vertebrates. We show that GenEPi has high specificity and spatiotemporal resolution for Piezo1-dependent mechanical stimuli, exemplified by resolving repetitive mechanical stimuli of spontaneously contracting cardiomyocytes within microtissues, in a non-invasive manner.

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Yaganoglu, S., Helassa, N., Gaub, B. M., Welling, M., Shi, J., Müller, D. J., Török, K., Pantazis, P.. 2019-07-15. GenEPi: Piezo1-based fluorescent reporter for visualizing mechanical stimuli with high spatiotemporal resolution. https://doi.org/10.1101/702423

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